Alaafin’s Empty Ultimatum: Why Development, Not Supremacy Battles, Should Define Leadership In Yorubaland 

BY SODIQ LAWAL

The Yoruba nation, with its rich history and enviable heritage, deserves leaders who channel their energies towards development and unity rather than needless supremacy battles. Yet, while some are busy issuing threats and 48-hour ultimatums over a chieftaincy title that does not even exist, others are busy transforming the landscape of Yorubaland with groundbreaking projects.

Take the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), as a prime example. At a time when job creation, economic expansion, and infrastructural development are urgent needs, the Ooni is spearheading projects that speak volumes of his vision.

From Ojaja Smart City in Ibadan, poised to become the biggest in Africa, to OjajaMore shopping malls and retail food-chain stores spread across Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, and Lagos States, the results are tangible: more than 5,000 jobs already created for Yoruba youths.

The record is there for all to see:

Akure hosts the Ojaja Hotels and Shopping Mall.

Ile-Ife is home to the Ife Grand Resort & Industrial Hub.

Osogbo, Ede, Ajah in Lagos, and Ado-Ekiti (still under construction) have all benefitted from the Ooni’s vision of modern retail and tourism hubs.

Inagbe Grand Resort in Lagos further complements these initiatives, redefining leisure and hospitality for Yoruba people and beyond.

This is the kind of leadership Yorubaland needs, one that brings food to the tables of ordinary people, creates opportunities for our teeming youths, and positions the South-West as a beacon of modern African development.

So, the question is simple: where does a busy king, who is laying economic foundations for the next generation, find time for supremacy hullabaloo? The Ooni is too preoccupied with monumental projects to be dragged into baseless contests of ego.

Issuing a 48-hour ultimatum over a non-existent title is not just laughable, it is a sheer distraction from the issues that truly matter.

History will not remember who shouted loudest about supremacy. It will remember who built, who united, and who created opportunities for the people. On that front, the Ooni of Ife stands tall, setting a pace that others should humbly emulate.

Empty threats will fade, but legacies of development will endure.